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SCOOPLET: RAMPY, NORTHRUP HANG A SHINGLE: Mehlman Vogel’s Stacey Rampy and Podesta’s Stephen Northrup are leaving to start a bipartisan health care lobbying enterprise called Rampy Northrup. Doors open Monday for the new shop, and they’ve signed four clients, including some belonging to their old employers: Johnson & Johnson, Quest Diagnostics, the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Affordable Health Benefits Coalition.

Rampy is the principal and co-lead of the health care practice at Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti and was the lead Democrat at Merck in her five years there. She’s also a former legislative director toRep. Anna Eshoo, and worked in the Senate for Sen. Barbara Boxer and former Sen. Robert Torricelli. Northrup is currently the co-chair of the health care practice at the Podesta Group and was formerly a health policy director for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions underSen. Mike Enzi.

“Health care clients today need personalized outside counsel from experts that are immersed in their business like the best in-house lobbyists,” Northrup tells PI. “ That’s going to be our business model.”

CORNYN COUNSEL HEADS TO ABBOTT: Andy Moskowitz, currently a policy counsel in Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn’s office, heads to a new role at Abbott Laboratories Monday. Moskowitz will be the senior director for federal government affairs for the global health care company in D.C. Moskowitz announced the news in an email to friends and colleagues Thursday afternoon. He’s previously served underformer President George W. Bush, former Commerce Secretary Don Evans, and Sens. Richard Burr and Jon Kyl.

K2 & CO. LAUNCHES POLICY BLOG: The new advisory firm K2&Co., headed by Third Way alums Anne Kim and Rob Keast, is launching a “centrist” policy and politics blog. Republic 3.0 will focus on economic policy, trade, technology and innovation, regulation and government reform from the perspective of center-left Democrats.

GOOD FRIDAY AFTERNOON,where Andrea takes the reins of PI and Byron is off the grid, spending a relaxing week in Ireland. Send your lobbying news, gossip, tips and scoops to Andrea at adrusch@politico.com. All tips rewarded with a beer on Byron when he returns, plus Andrea’s eternal gratitude.

SCOTT BROWN STEERING COMMITTEE HOSTS DUBLINER RECEPTION: The New Hampshire for Scott Brown Exploratory Committee is hosting a reception for the possible Senate hopeful April 7 at 5.pm. at The Dubliner on Capitol Hill. Tickets are $250 per person to attend or $1,000 to host; $1,000 for a PAC to attend or $2,500 to host. The group will also host a steering committee meeting the same day at the NRSC headquarters at 11:30 p.m.

BERMAN-BACKED NONPROFIT SIGNS OUTSIDE LOBBYIST: Once called a “life-time lobbyist” by Burson-Marsteller, former American Beverage Institute head Richard Berman is now leading a communications firm that boasts no lobbyists on staff. In keeping with this change, Berman and Company’s nonprofit labor watchdog group Center for Union Facts has hired an outside firm to lobby on the Employee Rights Act. The move fits the narrative many have reported that lobbyists are fleeing the title, but still playing a heavy hand in the influencing game. The LDA registration lists Center for Union Facts as a “think tank and public affairs firm,” which appears to refer to Berman & Company, not the center. This is the first registration for Jenna Hamilton, previously of Capitol Legislative Strategies, who was not available to comment on the hire. The Center also did not respond to a request for comment.

HOTELIERS HIT THE HILL: The American Hotel & Lodging Association is hosting its annual legislative action summit at the JW Marriott next week, featuring House Republican Conference Chairwoman Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Mark Begich and Susan Collins. Blumenthal and Rodgerswill address “Congress and You: The 2014 Legislative Agenda,” on April 1, discussing potential congressional action for the remainder of 2014. Begich and Collins will attend a special reception to receive the association’s 2014 “Champions of the Industry” award.

Other attendees include Christopher Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton Worldwide; Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International, Inc.; Ed Walter, president and CEO of Host Hotels & Resorts; Anne Caprara, political directorfor the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee; Rob Collins, executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee;Cesar Gonzalez,chief of staff forRep. Mario Diaz-Balart; and David Shahoulian, minority chief counsel for the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.

AH&LA members will also be on the Hill that week discussing lodging industry issues like immigration reform, promotion of travel to the U.S., and health care with members of congress and policy experts.

FINANCIAL SERVICES ROUNDTABLE’S NEW GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM: The Financial Services Roundtable has announced four new government affairs hires.

Hill veteran Georgette Perros Sierra, most recently a policy adviser for Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, is the new vice president of government affairs for lending and leasing. Jason Kratovil, formerly of the American Bankers Association Card Policy Council, takes over as vice president of government affairs for payments. C-Level cybersecurity expert and attorney Josh Magri joins as director of technology and operations policy. Scott Stewart of Shell E&P will be the new director of membership, and FSR’s own Manuel Grajeda has been named the new government affairs assistant at FSR’s Housing Policy Council.

“These hires are some of Washington’s foremost experts in politics and financial services policy and their experience will deliver a stronger voice for the financial services industry in Washington,” FSR CEO and President Tim Pawlenty said in a statement. “We are pleased to welcome them to our team and look forward to advocating on FSR’s priorities including cybersecurity, retirement security, TRIA, housing finance reform and other critical issues.”

TAYLOR FIRM SIGNS FIRST CLIENTS: Senate veteran Bettilou Taylor opened the doors of Taylor Strategies this January after breaking off from Madison Associates. American Printing House for the Blind, Battelle Memorial Institute, Results for America and United Student Aid Funds have all joined her at the new place, which focuses on health and education issues. Taylor tells PI that going out on her own was always the plan after leaving the Senate, and she doesn’t have plans to add any other principles.

LEADING AGE NAMES NEW DIRECTOR: The national association not-for-profit aging services providers is bringing on Tommy Goodwin as its new director of member advocacy. Goodwin spent 10 years at AARP, where he led host of government relations initiatives. He’ll be working with LeadingAge’s members to help them engage their legislators and stay abreast of proposed legislation. Goodwin has previously served in government relations roles in the higher education and information technology industries as well.

“Tommy Goodwin expands our capabilities around advocacy and grasstops and grassroots organization,” Cheryl Phillips, senior vice president of public policy and advocacy at LeadingAge, said in a statement.

ELSEWHERE IN THE INFLUENCE WORD:

MAYO CLINIC WANTS MILITARY MONEY: The medical giant Mayo Clinic has hired McAllister & Quinn and opened a Department of Defense Medical Research Office in Rochester to seek a bigger share of the Pentagon’s $900 million-plus annual spending on medical research. Lobbyists have already made key intros between executives and Pentagon brass to explain the application process. In the past decade, federal records show Mayo taking in tens of millions of dollars in military contracts for projects like battling bioterrorism and helping amputees walk again. http://strib.mn/1jaPK1N

KING ABDULLAH ON K STREET: “On Friday President Obama meets with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. ... Saudi interests with government ties have spent millions over the past few years on lobbyists and public relations professionals, who have in turn provided a wide range of services for their clients varying from drafting pamphlets touting the Kingdom's strides in human rights, legal consultation, arranging meetings with reporters from major news organizations and contacting members of Congress on their clients' behalf. ... [T]he country's U.S. Embassy ... spent just over $1.4 million in 2013 on payments to three Washington-area firms: Qorvis Communications LLC ($825,000), Hogan Lovells ($501,000) and Patton Boggs LLP ($105,000).” Sunlight Foundation reports: http://bit.ly/QnFsS0